The image of Robert Menzies is brandished like a scimitar in and around the modern – and ailing – Liberal party. When Liberal leaders, activists or factions jostle, one or another can be relied on to appeal to Menzies’ authority. Strangely for a man who, in life, seemed not to change much while the world changed around him, Menzies has now become a screen on which any number of beliefs and aspirations might be projected.
Indeed, the Liberal party’s external critics can also join in the fun, berating Menzies’ heirs and successors for their betrayal of his legacy: home ownership and support for universities have figured prominently. What happened to the Liberal party of Menzies, they ask. I’ve done it occasionally myself.
